Improvement in boot and shoe stretchers



J. BRYAN. Boot and Shoe Stretcher.

Patented Oct. 7, 1879.

lmllll N. PETERS. PHOTO-LITHDGRAFnm WASHINGTONMQC.

UNITED STATES PATENT) OFFICE.

JOSEPH BRYAN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOT AND SHOE STRETCHERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,339, datedOc tober '7, 1879; application filed December 26, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BRYAN, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot and Shoe Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, durable, and efficient boot and shoe stretcher, which shall be capable of adjustment sufficiently to allow it to be adapted to stretchall sizes of boots and shoes, from childrens up to the largest sizes for men; and it consists of the combination and arrangement of the several parts, as hereinafter more fully described and set forth.

Figure l is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of same. Fig. 3 is a view of detached adjusting parts.

A represents the heel or rear portion of the stretcher, provided with a screw-threaded nut, B, or the screw-thread may be cut in the metal direct composing the rear or heel piece A, if desired. 0 represents an oblique screwthreaded hand adjusting-rod, having at its rear end a suitable cross-bar handle, D, by which the same is turned by hand to force the toepiece E forward, so as to elongate the foot of the boot or shoe into which the stretcher has been previously placed.

If it is desirable to stretch a larger size than the capacity of the stretcher composed of parts A O D E, an adjustable heel-piece, F, having a screw-threaded bolt or extended rod, G, is screwed into a threaded hole, H, provided in the rear end of the heel-piece A. This may be adjusted more or less, so as to adapt the stretcher to various sizes larger; but if still larger sizes are to be operated upon a toe-piece, J, is attached to the former toepieee E by a projecting pin, K, secured to the toe-piece J and'entering a hole or holes, L,

provided in the toe-piece E; and when it is desired to raise the box in the toe of a boot or shoe, the other parts being so adjusted as' to adapt the stretcher to the size, a toe cap-piece, M, is placed upon either toe-piece E or J by a projecting pin, N, entering a hole provided in each for the purpose; then by the means of the adjusting mechanism O D the same operation takes place, and the box-raiser or cappiece M being formed on an angle, or incline rearward on its upper surface when in position, if it be forced forward in the boot or shoe, the box is raised or stretched upward, as de sired.

The adjusting oblique or inclined screw-rod O is pivoted in the hollow or shell toe-piece E by a toggle-piece, P, which is pivoted to the bottom of the shell toe-piece E. This allows it to adjust itself to the changes required without binding, the screwthreaded nut B allowing such movement without disturbing the heel'piece A. The heel or rear portion, A, has a groove, S, upon each side, which fits upon a projection or tongue upon each side of the toe-piece shell E, which serve as guides in the act of forcing outward the said heel portion A, which passes into the hollow or shell toe-piece E, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is A boot and shoe stretcher, as above described, cousisting of the adjustable parts A E, having the pivoted adjusting screw-rod O D, in combination with the adjustable heelpiece F G, toe-piece J, and box-raiser M, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOSEPH BRYAN.

Witnesses:

SYLVENUs WALKER, SoLoN BANCROFT. 

